Three hundred miles outside Iron-Gnashing City, in a dense forest.

Massive trees suddenly began to shake, the grass on the ground gradually forming mounds that then collapsed, transforming into hundreds of deep circular pits.

Subsequently, figures flew out from these pits…

Shield-bearing warriors with dignified faces and pretty female archers quickly formed ranks in the forest, arranging into flying formations of five thousand people each.

Mist rose and clouds gathered, filling the forest with a murderous aura.

Moments later, ten formations completed their lineup – fifty thousand immortal soldiers gathered here, ready for battle!

Tens of thousands of silhouettes filled a small patch of sky, their combined aura shooting toward the Big Dipper and Bull constellations, truly an extraordinary momentum.

‘Immortal Bean Soldiers, full attack.’

Li Changshou issued a simple command, and fifty thousand Immortal Bean Soldiers slowly flew toward Iron-Gnashing City, nearly blotting out the sky.

This number was what Li Changshou had settled on after repeated calculations.

Too many Bean Soldiers would push the enemy into desperate resistance with their backs against the wall, quickly exposing his ruse.

Too few wouldn’t achieve sufficient deterrence.

Meanwhile, over twenty Celestial Immortal paper avatars flew up from below, mixing into the gaps between the Bean Soldier formations.

For easier command, Li Changshou grouped these Celestial Immortal paper avatars together, their main responsibility being to cast the magic of sprouting soldiers from beans, releasing the most powerful firepower…

Pea Elite Soldiers!

Magnificent and murderous, fifty thousand Immortal Bean Soldiers launched a surprise attack on the demon Iron-Gnashing City!

Of course, this was all a feint, merely for show.

A real surprise attack should be silent and stealthy, breaking through the city’s defensive formation at maximum speed, then charging in with lightning speed, coordinating with decapitation tactics, making good use of sleeping powder and poison to handle ordinary soldiers, catching the enemy completely off guard.

This false surprise attack, though appearing sudden and impressive, was actually weak inside despite its strong appearance, only having enough strength for three or four waves of attacks, with the battle objective set merely to break through the enemy’s city defense formation…

Often, the more impressive the display, the more likely it was meant to achieve goals beyond actual combat.

While military movements that tried their utmost to conceal themselves truly heralded the coming of battle…

At this moment, three Golden Immortal aura fluctuations appeared out of thin air outside the city, two men and one woman hovering in the air, each with frost-like expressions as they stared at the demon city.

The woman shouted: “Demon remnants, come out and face death!”

As her words fell, the elderly man on the left struck out with his palm, releasing countless blue lightning bolts that solidly struck Iron-Gnashing City’s defensive formation, making it shake continuously, almost tearing it apart…

The numerous demons in the city were all dumbfounded at this moment.

Some beautiful demoness of unknown species screamed: “Humans, it’s humans! The humans are attacking!”

Chaos immediately erupted throughout the city, the vast majority of demons panicking and fleeing in the opposite direction;

A small portion of demons immediately became enraged, roaring as they charged toward the sky, but were blocked by the mountain-protecting formation, adding to the chaos in the city.

Gongs and drums clamored, bells rang constantly, with curses and cries filling the air.

Li Changshou observed this scene from various angles, unable to help feeling emotional.

It was said that demons were fierce, and humans fearing demons was the norm in ancient times;

But now, humans had gradually stood before the demons, returning all the fear they had once endured.

Strength was the only standard for survival in the primordial world.

Amidst the thunderous sounds, three Golden Immortal paper avatars began continuously attacking the formation.

The old bull demon of the Golden Immortal realm in the city had rushed above the city lord’s mansion but didn’t dare leave the formation, only glaring outward with angry eyes, constantly roaring, ordering troops to mobilize, asking the city’s demons to put in effort.

Soon, Li Changshou’s eyes lit up.

This old bull demon took out a horn and shouted into it several times.

He was calling for reinforcements!

The feint was proceeding several times more smoothly than Li Changshou had predicted.

But he couldn’t be careless now, as the treasure-hunting plan was just beginning.

Li Changshou’s consciousness was mainly spread across six Golden Immortal paper avatars. To retain enough mental energy for various unexpected situations, he only occasionally operated other paper avatars.

It was as if dozens of small ‘screens’ had opened in his mind, through which Li Changshou observed various locations, continuously advancing this grand performance according to his written script.

The reaction of Iron-Gnashing City’s demons far exceeded Li Changshou’s predicted chaos, which greatly reduced the pressure on his front line.

At this moment, in that valley.

The formation protecting this place opened a gap, and dozens of strong figures hurriedly rushed out.

Their faces and forms were quite similar to humans, most being pure bull demons who had achieved transformation.

The male bull demons were powerfully built, with their solid and craggy horns being their most prideful body parts. They had dyed their head hair in various colors, mostly in explosive styles.

Nose rings were particularly favored decorations among male bull demons, almost every bull had one;

Coupled with their head-turning roar of:

“Gather at the village entrance! Bring your weapons! The humans are attacking!”

These male bull demons were at the forefront of primordial world fashion…

The female bull demons, compared to their male counterparts, were relatively ordinary, without particularly striking features.

Female bull demons considered robustness beautiful; those with slender figures couldn’t hold their heads high in the clan even with slightly higher cultivation;

While those female bull demons with swollen figures walked with heads high and chests out in the middle of the group, even if their cultivation wasn’t outstanding…

As these bull demons had just rushed out of the valley formation, they were met head-on by a fierce wind!

This group of bull demons totaled forty-six Celestial Immortal experts, mostly mid and late-stage Celestial Immortals, yet not one bull could detect the oddness of the sand and leaves mixed in the wind. They all pressed forward against the wind, rushing to support Iron-Gnashing City.

Just as the forty-six Celestial Immortal bull demons had left, two more mighty figures immediately rushed out from deep in the valley, letting out two heaven-shaking “moo” calls, releasing powerful Golden Immortal pressure as they rushed to aid Iron-Gnashing City!

Li Changshou didn’t dare be careless and waited patiently.

After this batch of experts had rushed out some distance, inside the formation, several grains of sand and leaves slowly merged into the ground…

These were naturally paper avatars using transformation techniques.

The most crucial step of the plan was to get paper avatars from outside the formation to inside the instant it opened.

Breaking through this area’s formation wasn’t difficult for the current Li Changshou, but entering undetected was truly quite challenging.

The opportunity was fleeting, but he had successfully grasped it.

Eight paper avatars quickly scattered to various locations, rapidly gathering intelligence about the valley’s interior.

Terrain features, expert distributions, formation weaknesses…

Li Changshou’s mind was quickly filled with various information, and after careful analysis, he was slightly stunned.

The inside was very different from what he had imagined.

He had expected to break into an ‘iron-blooded military camp,’ but coming to his senses, he found this place was like a paradise outside the mundane world…

Wooden houses stood in rows, filled with happy voices and laughter.

There were no alert patrols on guard, only a group of young demons who had recently achieved transformation playing in the fields, being called home by rushing bull demon parents to take shelter.

What Li Changshou found somewhat regrettable was that this place had no negative karma, but rather revealed hints of auspiciousness amid its peacefulness.

Hmm, checking the signs, this was indeed a place hiding treasures!

Having chosen to draw the tiger from the mountain, he naturally had to carry this tactic through to the end.

The eight paper avatars that had infiltrated split into two groups – two remained near the formation, preparing to later break it and draw enemies, while another six paper avatars lay in ambush outside to provide support.

Another six paper avatars explored deeper into the valley, searching for the treasure’s location.

Was this all his methods?

Of course not.

The Scripture of Stability states: that keeping multiple backup plans allows for adaptation to change.

To make his actions more deceptive, Li Changshou’s paper avatar truly used for treasure hunting was – [Golden] Number Four, now transformed into a flying insect, following far behind a Celestial Immortal paper avatar.

By this point, Li Changshou’s consciousness was ninety percent occupied, continuously operating multiple lines – if one mistake occurred, it could easily lead to total collapse!

Soon, Li Changshou locked onto the location of this place’s treasure vault.

– That place had the most restrictions and strictest guards, with merit power faintly circulating within.

Li Changshou briefly deliberated and selected a plan – six paper avatars carrying sleeping powder would approach the treasure vault underground, later launching a fierce attack on it.

Meanwhile, [Golden] Number Four paper avatar used the earth movement technique to burrow underground.

After dozens of bull demon guards outside were knocked out by sleeping powder, two paper avatars rushed out first to draw away the enemy experts. Then four paper avatars suddenly attacked, launching a frontal assault on the treasure vault’s outer formation, throwing numerous ‘self-destructing after use’ miniature formations at the grand formation…

During this chaos, the [Golden] paper avatar underground reached the edge of the treasure vault.

Just one step away!

Li Changshou calmed his mind and controlled the paper avatar to press its left palm against the restrictions’ light ahead. Immortal power exploded, directly breaking through two layers of restrictions!

Divine consciousness rapidly probed forward, confirming no living beings’ auras were present. The Five Elements movement techniques rotated as his form transformed into a beam of rainbow light underground!

Traversing Heaven and Earth!

Almost instantly, Li Changshou moved to the treasure vault’s core area and, with lightning speed, broke through the thick stone floor, charging into the golden-glowing cave dwelling!

He was in!

The walls were covered with weapons emanating a murderous aura, and a pile of treasured materials giving off golden light was stacked into a small mountain.

Li Changshou took a careful look, his expression changing drastically.

Someone was here!

Not just someone – this person’s cultivation level was completely unfathomable to Li Changshou, and he hadn’t detected them at all before!

Moreover, this somewhat chubby Daoist was lying on top of the treasure mountain, making intoxicated mumbling sounds, his body constantly writhing among these precious materials…

Most importantly!

No clothes… to cover…

Suddenly, that seemingly drunk chubby Daoist sat up abruptly, staring wide-eyed at Li Changshou.

The river of time seemed to freeze at this moment!

“Ha! Behold the magical treasures!”

The chubby Daoist roared like thunder, raising his eyebrows and shouting!

Brilliant light flashed around him, condensing into spears, swords, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks, manifesting ingots, ruyi scepters, great cauldrons, and stone pagodas, all crashing toward Li Changshou’s Golden Immortal paper avatar!

Li Changshou could only shout: “Junior disciple of the Human Dao!”

This paper avatar’s form was immediately submerged by dozens of magical treasures, instantly losing connection with the primary body, that strand of primordial spirit force reduced to debris…

At Little Qiong Peak, Li Changshou stood there dumbfounded, unconsciously controlling various paper avatars, unable to come to his senses for a moment.

That Daoist just now, he had vaguely seen before…

At the Three Schools’ Origins Assembly, accompanying Grand Master Xuandu, wasn’t it this slightly chubby…

“Human Dao’s crude words, what kind of situation is this?”

Li Changshou’s mouth twitched frantically as a powerful divine consciousness had already locked onto his other paper avatars.

…

[Treasure hunting is a solemn and sacred matter.]

‘Back then at the Treasure Distribution Cliff, I picked up so many magical treasures – do I lack treasures?’

Daoist Duobao often asked himself this question, and the answer was naturally no.

Not only did he not lack treasures, he had an abundance.

– This was true compared to any being below the Sage level.

When making friends within the Severing Sect, he never looked at their cultivation level or amount of magical treasures – after all, none could have more than him.

And Daoist Duobao wasn’t stingy – many excellent disciples within the Sect had received magical treasures from his hands.

But the act of [treasure hunting] itself was always hard to resist, like an addiction.

When his cultivation was low, he relied on divine abilities to find treasures;

When his cultivation deepened and divine abilities made breakthroughs, he could directly smell Heaven’s omens and find treasures about to emerge.

Today was just such a case – he detected a treasure about to emerge and came to join the excitement.

Daoist Duobao’s current cultivation was at the final step before the Three Corpse Severance, and he knew that once he comprehended matters related to ‘treasure,’ he could step into a whole new realm.

But how could one comprehend something just by saying they would comprehend it?

It was almost common knowledge throughout the primordial world that his, Daoist Duobao’s, true form was the first treasure-seeking mouse in Heaven and Earth.

The Three Pure Ones’ split began when Tongtian Jiaozhu brought Duobao back to Three Friends Cottage and even took him as chief disciple, making Yuanshi Tianzun feel somewhat offended…

Regarding his origins, Daoist Duobao never felt there was anything wrong – it was precisely because of this that he could meet his master, his greatest fortune and opportunity.

But the two characters ‘treasure hunting’ was like a demon in his heart he couldn’t overcome, making him dig from ancient times until today.

No help for it – the process of treasure hunting was full of intoxicating charm, letting him forget himself and feel the most primal rhythms of the Great Dao.

And the difficulty of treasure hunting was all for that moment of satisfaction and joy when finding treasure!

When embracing treasures, feeling the pulse of the Great Dao, immersed in one’s path…

‘Nothing else in the world could bring more satisfaction than this!’

Daoist Duobao praised from his heart.

Was there anything wrong with intimate contact with treasures?

Was there a problem?

This was the realm of understanding!

“Ahem,” Daoist Duobao sat on the treasure pile, lowered his head, and wiped his face, immortal power already forming clothes on his body, with an actual Daoist robe added on top.

So, so embarrassing.

Wasn’t the Human Dao’s little Sea God still outside? How did he suddenly appear here?

Eh, wait, what he just pulverized seemed to be a Golden Immortal…

“Hiss!”

Could that have been the Human Dao little Sea God’s true body?

If he had killed Senior Uncle’s valued junior disciple in a moment of shame and anger, that would have been a huge problem!

Daoist Duobao hurriedly jumped down from the treasure pile, discovered he had only destroyed a paper person, and finally breathed a sigh of relief, retrieving the over three hundred magical treasures he had thrown out in several batches back into his sleeve.

All because he was too intoxicated earlier…

This was truly embarrassing to the extreme!

Daoist Duobao had found this place half an hour ago, and this treasure-hunting master quickly discovered the paper avatars Li Changshou had secretly arranged.

At the time, Daoist Duobao understood that this treasure’s emergence should be related to the Sea God…

Nowadays, paper-cutting into people’s divine ability has almost become synonymous with the Sea God.

Moreover, Duobao secretly locked onto one paper avatar and tried divining, discovering the Taiji Diagram’s warning afterward, naturally verifying the identity of the paper avatar’s operator.

But Daoist Duobao didn’t interfere much.

He enjoyed the pleasure of treasure hunting, seeking the feeling from when he was still a weak being.

Daoist Duobao had originally planned to find the treasure, indulge himself for a bit, and then leave on his own, not disturbing the Human Dao’s little Sea God’s treasure hunting.

He would even leave a small gift for the Human Dao’s little Sea God, forming a small favorable connection.

Now, Daoist Duobao silently entered the bull demons’ treasure vault, gathered the treasures together, and lay upon them, indulging and immersing himself, waiting for the moment just before the Sea God’s paper avatar arrived.

Daoist Duobao naturally had confidence that Li Changshou couldn’t capture his departing form;

But he had been watching those eight paper avatars outside with a tiny bit of attention…

Never expected…

His surprise gift was met with a shock.

“How did he suddenly emerge from underground?”

Daoist Duobao slapped his forehead, quickly calculating in his heart how to conclude this matter, but he was troubled and confused, unable to think of any good ideas for the moment.

So, without overthinking it, Daoist Duobao took out a purple-gold alms bowl from his chest, raised his hand, and with a gentle shake, the bowl vanished.

At the same time, an alms bowl a thousand miles in diameter descended from the sky, directly covering Iron-Gnashing City and the valley area.